Bill > HB212

This bill establishes a Parental Empowerment Program administered by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, which creates a reimbursement system for parents who choose to send their children to private schools. Under the program, parents of school-age children can receive reimbursement for private school tuition up to 80% of the state's average per-student maintenance and operations expenditures, with the reimbursement amount being the lesser of the actual tuition paid or the 80% cap. The bill emphasizes parental choice in education, drawing on recent Supreme Court decisions that protect the right to use public funds for religious school education. Participating private schools would not be required to comply with new state educational regulations that were not in effect as of January 1, 2025. The comptroller will track and report the number of participating students to the education commissioner and Legislative Budget Board, and school districts may receive funding equal to the cost savings generated by the program. The program includes safeguards such as preventing the use of available school fund or federal funds for reimbursements and allowing the comptroller to deduct up to 2% of each reimbursement to cover administrative costs. The program is set to begin on September 1, 2025, with rules to be adopted by October 15, 2025, and will include measures to prevent fraud and ensure proper financial reconciliation.

Education

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB212